The Life After
by tramsnowtige
Summary: The Final Battle is finally over and the Wizarding World is living with the outcome. Some are happy and others are miserable. How are the lives of the Weasleys' and Hermione. But most importantly who is alive, Voldemort or Harry.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The battle was fierce. Spells were flying left and right. No one knew who was the friend or the foe. All those wizards knew was that they needed to shot spells as quickly as possible if they wanted to survive.

Harry James Potter was standing on the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry watching the battle below him. His best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were standing next to him and looking sadly at the chaos below.

Ginny Weasley, current girlfriend of Harry Potter, was always atop of the extremely tall tower. She couldn't stand to look at the battle below, knowing that most of her family was fighting for their lives and she would not know if they were going to live until this dreadful moment was over. All she could do was pray for them and hope they would come home safely.

Besides being concerned about her family, she was fearful for her boyfriend's life. He was about to go up against the most powerful dictator the Wizarding World ever knew, Voldemort.

It was all planned out. At midnight on June 16, 1998, Voldemort would meet Harry on top of the Astronomy Tower and the prophecy made eighteen years ago would be fulfilled. Harry would either use his unknown power or vanquish the Dark Lord or Voldemort would blow The Boy Who Lived into smithereens.

The large clock stroke twelve and a shadow walked out of the dark stairwell. His black cloak covered his entire body and his hood hid his face from view. Ginny let go of Harry and gave him a kiss for luck and back up behind him, standing next to Ron and Hermione.

"Voldemort," said Harry in a calm collective voice.

To all who looked upon this scene thought Harry was fine, but inside Harry was as nervous as hell. He was scared that he would fail and the Wizarding World would cease to exist as they knew it. If Harry lost, many innocent lives would be lost.

"Harry," the voice underneath the cloak replied. "I see you brought an entourage with you. My, my I believe that red hair girl is you're girlfriend Ginny Weasley. Am I correct?"

"Leave her out of it," snarled Harry.

"She is quite a beauty. She looks almost identical to that mudblood mother of yours."

"Shut up!"

"What Harry? Can't we have a nice civilized conversation before you fall to your death?"

"It is not me who will die."

"Oh really! You think you can beat me?" At this thought, Voldemort let out a loud laugh.

"I've done it before and I can do it again."

"Did you not realize I can come back? I will come back again and again. You cannot defeat me Harry Potter."

"Is that so? I know your secret, Tom. I know all about your Horcruxes and I destroyed them all. I killed Nagini, the ring was destroyed, the diary was stabbed, Hufflepuff's cup was shattered, the locket was found, and Ravenclaw's broach was blown up. Am I missing anything?"

Voldemort looked shaken back, but underneath the cloak his surprised action didn't show. "I underestimated you Harry. You must join me. We can forget this battle and you and me can rule the world. We would be great."

"No thanks, Tom. I have better things to do than kill innocent lives."

"Fine then. I will just have to destroy you instead."

Voldemort lowered his hood to reveal an ugly, snake-like creature. His ruby red eyes were gleaming and his smile showed his yellow-stained teeth.

"Now Harry, we must bow. It is only proper."

"I refuse to bow down to scum like you."

"I was going to go easy on you Harry, but I don't take insults well. I guess I will just have to take away the most important thing in your pathetic life."

Voldemort pointed his wand toward Ginny's direction and yelled the world's most dangerous words," Avada Kedavra!"

A green jet made its way toward the poor girl and it was about to strike in the middle of her chest when Harry jumped in front of her, shielding his love from the deadly curse.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed with tears streaming down her pale face. Her boyfriend was going to sacrifice himself for her.

Just as the curse hit Harry, a blinding, white light engulfed the Astronomy Tower. All those fighting the battle below stopped shooting spells and watched the spectacle above, not being able to take their eyes off it.

Some were worried, like Molly Weasley. Her children were up their fighting for their lives and she didn't know if that light was killing them or saving them. All she knew was that her biological children and her unofficially adopted children were in trouble and she couldn't get to them.

Other people, like Lucius Malfoy, were gleeful. By the looks of it his Master was finally riding the world of that troublesome half-blood. The Dark Lord was one step closer to conquering the world and killing all those unworthy of living. The world would soon be a better place to live if you were in the Dark Lord's good graces.

After a few minutes the light cleared, but no one dared to continue to neither fight nor move from their spots. They would wait patiently for the outcome of the battle, hoping that their leader would win.

On top of the Astronomy battles two bodies were laying on the stone floor. Two chests weren't moving and both bodies were ice cold. Both bodies were pale and would never see the light of day again. Those two bodies were Tom Marvolo Riddle a.k.a. Voldemort and Harry James Potter.


	2. Dead or Alive

**Chapter One: Dead or Alive**

"What is he doing here?" cried a distrait voice. "He wasn't supposed to be here until he was old and gray! He's too young!"

"I know, Honey, I know," responded a soothing masculine voice.

"It's not fair! He was younger than us!"

"I know, Honey, I know."

"Why aren't you freaking out? He's your son for Merlin's sake! Do you even care that he's dead!"

"Of course I care! Don't you ever accuse me about not caring about my son! I'm just as upset about it as you!"

"You don't show it!"

"Well, one of us has to be the voice of reason!"

"You the voice of reason? Since when have you been the voice of reason?"

'Since you became a crazed, psycho mum!"

"Well, my son just died! Do you expect me to be calm?"

Harry stirred and opened his emerald eyes. He looked up and saw a sky blue sky with large, white clouds floating overhead. Pink and yellow flowers surrounded his head and a calm music was playing in the background.

The world surrounding him was so calm and peaceful, except for the yelling of his parents. Wait a second! His parents! Where the hell was he?

Harry quickly sat up and saw two people staring at him. He saw a man who was nearly a mirror image of himself. The only difference between the two was that the man in front of him had a slightly larger nose and his eyes were a brownish hazel instead of the emerald green that he had.

The woman looked almost identical to Ginny. She had flaming red hair and was quite beautiful. The only difference between this slightly older woman and his girlfriend was that this woman had his eyes instead of the chocolate brown that Ginny had.

These people in front of him were his parents/. That woman who had tears running down her face and was giving him a sad smile was his mother. The man who was looking down at him with pride was his father. His parents weren't just a visual picture any more. They actually existed, even if they were dead. Even if he was dead.

"Mum. Dad, "said Harry apprehensively. The two figures nodded.

"Yes Honey," replied Lily.

"Am I dead?" asked Harry.

"Yes Son," answered James sadly.

"Oh. What about Voldemort? Where is he? Did I take him down with me?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Yeah, you did," replied James. "And we're so proud of you!"

Lily went on to her knees and locked eyes with her son. She went to hug her son, but something strange happened. Instead of making contact with her only child, she slipped right through him.

"What the bloody hell!" cursed James.

Harry looked down upon his hand to see that it was transparent. He was almost like a ghost, except that he actually had some color to him instead of being completely white.

"What's going on?" asked Harry in complete confusion.

"I believe, Harry, you have a difficult decision to make," responded a wise, old voice. Harry turned his head to see Professor Albus Dumbledore standing above him. Harry stood up immediately.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. How have you been?" Harry was suddenly nervous around the elder man. He soon remembered that horrid day when he was murdered by that smelly Professor Snape.

"I've been fine, Harry. It has actually been quite peaceful."

"Now what were you saying about a decision?" interrupted James.

"Oh yes, well it seems that Harry has a decision to make. He has the choice to stay here and be among the dead or he can go back to live on the Earth."

"What?" exclaimed Harry. "I thought I was dead. You told me there was no way to come back from the dead."

"That's what I thought," replied Dumbledore. "But my dear boy, it seems you aren't dead, at least not completely."

"What do you mean he's not dead?" asked Lily in frustration. "Is he like Sirius?"

"Sirius?" Harry wondered aloud. "Where is he? I thought he was dead."

"Harry, Sirius isn't dead," answered James. "He's stuck in Limbo, the line between life and death."

"So Sirius is alive and I'm not dead," said Harry. "We're both stuck in Limbo and I have the choice to live or die."

"Yes, Harry," replied Dumbledore. "It's up to you."

"But why am I stuck in Limbo? The killing curse hit me. I should be dead."

"It seems that sacrificing yourself for Miss Weasley was purely out of love. That love was much stronger than Tom's hatred for Miss Weasley."

"But Mum sacrificed herself for me. Why did she die?"

"Ah, she did not stand in the way of the killing curse as you did. The curse was meant for your mother and not you. That curse was meant to kill her. The curse that Tom shot wasn't meant for you. It was meant for Miss Weasley."

"Therefore, the love that possessed you to sacrifice yourself for Miss Weasley overcame Tom's hatred. As I have told you so many times, love always overcomes hate. That blinding white light you experienced before your death was your love sacrificing itself for Miss Weasley, giving you option to live or die."

"So sacrificing myself for Ginny saved me?"

"Yes."

"Then how come no one else survived the Killing Curse? Surely someone had to do the same thing I did."

"Unfortunately no. No has ever jumped in front of the Killing Curse to save someone else. You are the only one brave enough to do such an action. I cannot tell you how proud you have made me tonight, Harry. Not only by completing the prophecy and destroying Voldemort, but by the amount of courage and love you showed. You are a wonderful young man."

"Thank you, sir."

"Wow," exclaimed James astonished. "My son is the first person to ever escape the Killing Curse twice!"

"Well, not quite yet, James," responded Dumbledore. "Harry still has a decision to make. Harry, you can either stay here and live with myself and your parents, or you can finish your life on Earth and rescue Sirius from Limbo. It's up to you and only you."

Harry was quite confused and overwhelmed. Everything he once knew was gone. He had just got to meet his parents and he got to see his old professor again. Yet, he couldn't even hug them nor hold them. But he could if he decided to end his life.

However, he had a life on Earth. He had Ron and Hermione who would be depressed about his death and would kill him if they found out he could have came back to life. Or Ginny. He loved her so much and couldn't stand to leave her behind. She was his love and he couldn't live without her.

What about Sirius? He was stuck in Limbo for the rest of eternity and it was his fault. If he had not believed that stupid dream or if he had used that two way mirror Sirius would be alive and well. Not to mention free of all his crimes.

To say the least, this decision wasn't fair. Didn't he just defeat the prophecy that had been haunting him even before his birth. Why was he forced into all these difficult decisions? What did he do to deserve it?

"I…well, um."

* * *

**Author's Note: Please Read and Review! I want to know that people like this story and if you don't respond I may not have the motivation to continue.**

**By the way, thank you to Bethany to being my first reviewer (and only reviewer).**

**I hate to beg, but PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. The Wizarding World's Despair

**Chapter Two: The Wizarding World's Despair**

Ginny was sitting beside the hard, hospital bed that her boyfriend laid in. His chest wasn't moving and his pulse was nonexistent. Harry's body was cold and his once warm smile was replaced with frozen frown. Ginny's boyfriend had left his body and had no intention of returning.

The poor girl was alone in the hospital room. Others had offered to stay with her, but she preferred to be alone. She wouldn't mind Ron or Hermione sitting at Harry's bedside with her, but they were still in denial about the event and Ginny didn't have the heart to make her best friend and brother feel more pain than they were already feeling.

Ginny gently brushed on of Harry's stray hair out of his closed, emerald eyes. How she longed for them to open once more and reveal their beauty to her. She couldn't explain how much she wanted him to open his mouth and tell her that he loved her just one more time. All she asked for was one minute alone with him alive. After all, she didn't even get the chance to say good bye.

"Why Harry?" Ginny whispered softly to the cold being that laid in front of her. "Why did you leave me?"

"You promised me, Harry," she said once again in a louder voice. "You promised me that you wanted to spend your life with me. You said you wanted me and only me. You said you never leave me."

Ginny stop her rant for a minute. Hot tears slowly poured down her freckled cheeks and she began to shake slightly. A chill ran down her spine and she rubbed her hands together for slight warmth.

Thoughts and memories of their time spent together rushed through her head. All of them were pleasant. She didn't want to think of the bad, only the good. Harry would want her to be happy, but she didn't want her to be. She wanted to be sad. It wasn't right for her to be happy when her soul mate was dead and she was very much alive.

Ginny rose from the uncomfortable chair and stood over her former lover. He didn't look peaceful nor did he look distressed. The only word Ginny could describe was calm; maybe a good calm or maybe a bad one. But he was calm none the less.

"You promised me," Ginny cried softly into his ear. "You said you didn't want to hurt me. You promised me that you would never hurt me. Well, you lied, Harry! You lied to me, Harry, and you don't even have the courage to stay alive an extra minute so I can slap you for it!"

The girl rushed to the door and exited the room. She slammed the door hard. Ginny quickly regretted it and at the moment she didn't give a damn.

She sunk to the floor, laying her back against the door. Ginny put her head in her hands and began to sob quietly. She didn't care that everyone was looking down upon her with pity. She didn't worry about the fact that everybody was grieving as badly as she was. In her mind all was lost. Her knight in shiny armor was gone forever. He had saved her countless of times and she didn't have the decency to do the same.

Mrs. Weasley quickly hopped off her hospital bed and sat next to her daughter. She placed her hands around her daughter's small frame and gently rocked her back and forth, making a smooth humming noise. Her child was in pain and she couldn't show her pain in front of her. Mrs. Weasley had to hid her grieve of losing a child to comfort her only daughter.

Ginny slowly raised her head and made eye contact with her mother. She saw all the pain and the grief her mother was currently holding back and that scared Ginny. Her mother wasn't supposed to be brave for her. She had lost a dear person to her too and yet Ginny was so selfish that she had to hog all the attention away.

"Mum," Ginny said quietly.

"Yes, baby," responded Mrs. Weasley just as quietly.

"It's okay to cry, Mummy. You don't have to be brave for me."

"No, Ginny, I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Mum. You're upset. I can see it in your eyes. You need to cry. It's perfectly okay."

"I know its okay, dear. I want to cry, but Harry wouldn't want me to. Harry would want me to be happy and live my life without the threat of Voldemort. He would want you to be happy too."

"I know he would want me to, but I can't. I can't be happy, not yet. It isn't fair. He was much too young to die."

"I know he was. It's a shame that he never got to live a life without the threat of death following him. He deserves to live a peaceful, happy life. It's what he deserves and so much more."

"I bet he's peaceful right now," Ginny whispered. "He's probably so happy right now with Cedric, Sirius, and Dumbledore. I bet he's talking with his parents right now, telling them stories about all his adventures at Hogwarts."

"I would bet that he his bragging about the wonderful girl in his life. He's probably telling them how much you made him happy and how much he loved you."

"You think he loved me that much, Mum?"

"Oh Ginny, he loved you more than you can imagine. You could see it in his eyes. Those beautiful, green orbs would light up every time you entered a room. He truly loved you more than anyone he's ever met."

"I miss him."

"I miss him too."

"Do you think he misses us?"

"Yes. He misses us just as much as we miss him."

"I hope so."

"Now, I believe it's time you get off to bed. I'll go get Poppy to give you a Dreamless Sleep Potion." Mrs. Weasley got up and walked toward the office of Madam Pomfrey.

Ginny slowly rose to her feet and walked toward an empty hospital bed. She would have liked to check up on Harry one last time, but she couldn't gather the courage to bring up the pain of his death. She would see him when she awoke, but for now she drank the potion the Mediwitch handed her and let the soothing darkness consume her.

**So what do you think? Is good is it bad? I need to know and if I don't know I can't improve this story. Read and Review! God, I hate when authors do this and I'm doing it too. Oh well! REVIEW!**

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	4. Decisions, Decisions

**Chapter Three: Decisions, Decisions **

"I'm not sure what to do," said Harry in complete confusion. "There is so much too consider. How long do I have until I have to make my decision?"

"Not long," replied the professor as looked at his former student. "I'm afraid you have minutes to decide until the opportunity is taken. It's now or never."

"Harry," Lily interrupted sweetly. "I'd hate to resort to violence, but if you have to take the deal, I will kick your behind off this cloud and make sure you land on Earth! I can't believe-"

"What your mother is trying to say," James intervened, "Is that you don't belong here. It's not your time and you should go before you're stuck here for eternity."

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant," Lily pointed out. "Go back to Earth. There is no reason to stay here."

"What do you mean there is no reason to stay here?" exclaimed Harry. "My parents are actually alive here! You guys aren't just a moving picture anymore, you're real! I finally have a chance to know my family and you expect me to give it up no questions asked? It's not that simple!"

"Yes it is," replied Lily. "There are people on that Earth who are your family too and they're grieving for you! You don't realize how hard your death is affecting them! Look at Ginny!"

Lily pointed toward the edge of the white cloud. Harry walked over and he looked down upon the Earth. He could see Ginny, his beautiful Ginny. She was sitting beside his bed in the hospital wing. She was crying, crying for him.

"_You promised me," Ginny cried softly into his ear. "You said you didn't want to hurt me. You promised me that you would never hurt me. Well, you lied, Harry! You lied to me, Harry, and you don't even have the courage to stay alive an extra courage so I can slap you for it!"_

_Ginny quickly ran from Harry's side and slammed the door shut._

Harry quickly backed away from the cloud. He couldn't watch anymore of the horror that his girlfriend was going through. Harry was so distraught about his girlfriend's reaction to his death that he forgot to check up on anyone else.

He didn't know if Ron or Hermione were okay or even alive. He didn't know if how his surrogate parents were taking his death. He didn't know how Remus was holding up. He knew nothing, absolutely nothing. All he knew was that his girlfriend was going to fall into a deep depression over his death.

Intense guilt soon filled Harry's entire body. How could he be so selfish? He had the option of going back to Earth and comforting his girlfriend, but instead he just wanted to stay with his parents. Harry didn't deserve the option of living. It should have gone to someone more deserving instead of an undeceive teenager.

'Now you see why you have to go back," said Lily, interrupting his thoughts. "Ginny misses you and you have the option of making her happier than she has ever been. Will you go back to Earth, for her?"

"I….I can't," whispered Harry in complete shock and depression.

"Why the hell not?" yelled Lily in rage. "Do you not care about Ginny enough to go back? Do you even love her?"

"Of course I do! I love her with my whole heart! I would do anything for her!"

"Then prove it! Go back to Earth!"

"I can't!"

"Why can't you?"

Harry began to shake ferociously and his see-through body became a pale white. He didn't know if this was pure rage, anger, or depression, but whatever it was he didn't like it. Mixtures of emotions were filling his nontransparent body and he couldn't take it.

"Because I love her too much," Harry finally answered calmly.

"You love her too much to do what?" James asked peacefully.

James didn't know what side of the argument to be a part of. One side of him wanted Harry to go back to Earth and live his life to the fullest. But another part of him wanted Harry to stay with him. He wanted to know his son and the only way he could was for him to stay. James didn't know what he could do for his son. Sometimes love was so complicated.

"I love her too much to put her through so much pain," replied Harry softly. "The shock alone could kill her. I don't know how she would handle me coming back."

"She will be overwhelmed at first, but she'll love having you back," answered James.

"How do you know?"

"Because I do. She loves you more than you know, Harry. I'm not sure she can handle your death at the moment. I can tell you right know she's going to fall into a deep depression."

Harry gulped. "I know."

"Then save her from all that pain, Harry," Lily said quietly. "She needs you and I know you need her."

"Your mum's right, Harry," responded a different voice behind Harry. All three of the Potters' and Dumbledore turned their heads and saw a handsome, blonde-haired boy standing in the light of the sun.

"Cedric?" asked Harry in shock. Harry was so wrapped up with the shock of death, his parents, and Ginny's depression that he completely forgot about Cedric.

Suddenly a large pang of guilt filled Harry's gut and his stomach tied itself into knots. The horrible memory of Cedric's death filled Harry's mind. Peter killing Cedric was one of Harry's biggest regrets was that five seconds it took for that dreadful curse that hit Cedric. Harry knew it wasn't his fault, but apart of him couldn't help but feel guilty. After all, it was Harry who suggested they both grasp the cup at the same time.

"Hey Harry," said Cedric happily. "Long time no see. What have you been up to?"

"I well….um," replied Harry. He couldn't help but be a little tongue-tied about seeing Cedric again. The shock was overwhelming.

"Harry, it's not your fault I died," Cedric interrupted quietly.

"Yes it is. I was the one who suggested that we take the cup together. If I just took the cup myself, then you wouldn't have died."

"How were you going to know that the cup was a portkey?"

"I don't know, but I should have known."

"I won't be able to convince you it isn't your fault, right?"

"Right."

"Then, I forgive you."

"What?" Harry asked in complete confusion. Death must have rattled Cedric's head because he had no reason to forgive him.

"Harry, I forgive you," Cedric repeated calmly and slightly amused.

"You forgive me for what? Killing you?'

"Not killing me, but for making me take the cup with you. I didn't want the cup that badly and you forced me to take it. So, I forgive you for making me take it."

"But taking the cup lead you to your death."

And your point is?"

"That I don't deserve to be forgiven."

"You're right."

"What?" Harry yelled in even more confusion. Cedric was forgiving him for leading him to his death and then he took it back.

"That's right. You don't deserve to be forgiven until you do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Go back to Earth and live again."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Harry," Cedric said seriously. "If I had the option to live again, I would take it in a heartbeat. You are going to miss so much if you don't go back."

"But-"

"Not buts, Harry. You lead me to my death and now I want you to do one small thing for me. You owe me big and you know it."

"_What am I going to do," Harry thought to himself. "Am I going to respect Cedric's wish or am I going to be stay here and be free of all the pain and misery I left upon the Earth?" _

Needless to say, Harry was more than confused about his decision. There were so many positives and negatives to each side that Harry didn't know what to do. He just needed time to think about everything. To Harry, nothing could get worse than this.

"Harry," said Dumbledore interrupting Harry's thoughts. "You're time is up. Are you going to stay here or are you going back to Earth. You have to decide now."

Scratch that. This was much worse.

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	5. He's Back! Or is He?

**Chapter Four: He's Back! Or is He? **

All was quiet in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. The Final Battle had been over for a few hours now and the survivors of the encounter were resting peaceful under the influence of a Dreamless Sleep Potion. Even Madam Pomfrey was resting in her office.

However, not everyone who participated in the battle could say they were alive and well. The bodies of the dead laid untouched on the cold ground in front of Hogwarts. Death Eaters, Order members, and Ministry employees were among the unfortunate souls who didn't have the opportunity to survive through this difficult struggle.

Though the smell of the rotting bodies was atrocious, no one had the heart to move them, at least not yet. Seeing those who had passed on to the next life would mean excepting their deaths. It would mean that families and friends would finally have accept that they would no longer see their loved ones. It would mean that everyone had to realize that the war brought on more casualties than what was expected. At this point in time, the Wizarding World couldn't take that kind of pain and they would wait until the early morning to deal with depression of death.

The biggest death though would be the death of the world's savior, Harry Potter. Out of respect for the young man, the survivors of the war had yet to announce his death to the public and would wait until the time was right to admit the tragedy. It was still difficult for those close to the young man to accept the reality of his death and the longer they could hold off the press, the more time they had to live in denial. It wasn't healthy to say the least, but it was how they were dealing with the situation and it was fine for them at the moment. Of course, they were all asleep with the aid of potions, but that's beside the point.

The body of the now deceased Harry Potter was lying in a room separate from all the other individuals in the Hospital Wing at the moment. He was still dressed in the white robes that he had worn before his encounter with Voldemort. The warm attire was perfectly clean; there was no trace of dirt or blood. Not that Harry bleed throughout the battle. On the contrary, he was one of the few that didn't have a single scratch on him.

Harry's unmoving body was lying on a hard, hospital bed. His head rested on top of one of the soft pillows that the Madam Pomfrey provided with each patient that she attended to. However, the warm covers on the bed were still tucked neatly under the mattress and not laying on top of the body. Whether it was from stress, depression, or denial of the death, no had bothered to cover the cold being. It just didn't seem like the time to do so.

Suddenly, the once still body began to twitch. The twitching began to increase rapidly as the seconds passed and as the twitching neared a full ten minutes, the body began to convulse. If one didn't know that he was dead, they would assume that he was having an extremely violent seizure.

But soon after, the twitching ceased and the dead body was once again still. There was no evidence of dangerous movement. Most would have said it was the trick of the darkness, but moments later a faint, white glow surrounded the boy.

The glow became brighter and brighter. Soon, the light had taken over and filled the entire room with the glorious color. The light was leaking out under the door and if anyone were standing on the grounds at that particular moment, they would have seen the white glow shine from the window and light the entire grounds. It was quite a beautiful sight to see, to say the least.

But not only was this a miraculous sight to see, it was a miraculous feeling for those who had experienced it. Harry had left heaven and had been welcomed to complete darkness. He had original thought that something had gone wrong, but soon his magical powers overcame him and filled him with complete numbness. The extreme power Harry had possessed before his passing entered his body once more as his soul once again reconnected to his body.

After what seemed like an eternity of complete numbness and a strange feeling of happiness, the extreme rush faded into nothingness and Harry opened his eyes to reveal a very dark hospital room. He lifted his head off the pillow and looked around the room.

Harry soon peered down at his fingers and began move them across the mattress. He could touch the bed! Harry placed his bare feet firmly on the hard, cold tile and took a step. He could walk! Harry smelt the room and touched the doorknob. He could smell again and could feel! Harry was once again alive!

"I'm alive!" exclaimed Harry in complete shock and awe. "I'm actually alive! I can walk and breathe! I can smell and feel! It's amazing!"

It was in that moment that realization finally hit him. He had died. He had felt nothing and had seen Heaven. He interacted with those who were dead and could see events that happened upon the Earth when he himself wasn't there. He had been given a second chance to live once again.

The thought of being dead scared Harry. For hours, he was not breathing and he couldn't even wiggle his fingers. He couldn't open his eyelids or comfort his depressed girlfriend. He couldn't do anything, but lie still without any hope of waking up. Of course being Harry Potter, he refused to follow all the rules of logic and life.

Harry quietly opened the door of his hospital room and stuck his head out. He looked out cautiously, searching for any sort of movement. Harry didn't want to interact with anyone at the moment and just wanted a few moments of peace. All that could be heard was the snores of the other patients and it sounded as if they would be asleep for quite some time. Harry decided to step out of his room and take a long walk to clear his head.

He didn't know where he was going to go nor did he care. Harry couldn't deal with seeing the faces of his loved ones at this moment and all he wanted to do was follow wherever his feet took him. Although he had been away from the earth for the past few hours, Harry felt nothing but stress. His head was pounding with many thoughts and he wanted nothing more to rid the thoughts for just a few minutes.

After fifteen minutes of mindless walking, Harry arrived at an unexpected destination, the Astronomy Tower. Though Harry wasn't exactly thrilled about being here, he stepped onto the large balcony and looked down. The night sky was dark and the air was a bit warm with a slight chill in the air. Despite the circumstances, Harry couldn't help but think that it was a nice night.

Though the darkness hide the casualties from Harry's view, he knew what was lying below him. Not only could he smell them, but Harry could feel them. He felt somewhat suffocated by all their presence, even though they were dead. Harry tried to ignore the extremely awkward feeling, but as the sun rose higher into the east and the bodies began to reveal themselves, Harry couldn't help stop the awkwardness from increasing.

Harry decided that he had spent enough time out here and needed to find some space. Just as he was about to enter the Hogwarts Castle once more, something caught his eye. Lying next to his feet was a pair of long black robes; Voldemort's robes.

Harry bent down to examine the article of clothing. The silk was still smooth and felt brand new. As he picked up the robes, a wand fell out. It was the 13 ½ inch yew wand that has caused him so much trouble of the past few years. This wand, the brother to his own wand, stopped him from living the life that many others took for granted. This piece of wood participated in the killings of many innocent lives that deserved to be spared. This creation helped corrupt one of the most evil wizards of all time.

"_It isn't the wand's fault," Harry thought to himself. "It was the owner."_ Though Harry knew this logic was true, he couldn't help but not completely believe it.

He placed the robes back onto the cold, stone floor and pocketed the wand. Harry wanted to keep the wand that had done so many inhuman things. It was the one of the last steps in destroying all traces of Voldemort.

Harry walked back into the castle he still considered home. The hour or so he had spent on top of the large balcony did little to clear his thoughts. As of now, Harry didn't know what to do or say and he just needed some space for the time being. Although he had wanted to check up on Ginny, Harry couldn't help but want to get some space for just a few moments. A few moments couldn't do any harm, right?

* * *

Ginny didn't know how long the potion kept her asleep for, but when she arose from her slumber the once pitch black sky was now a lightest pink. For a few moments, Ginny laid on her back, trying to forget all the painful memories she had collected over the past few hours, but she couldn't. Harry's final moments kept replaying in her mind and she couldn't stop the memories from flowing. Not that she tried much.

The girl gave a loud sigh and sat up. All the others around her seemed to still be asleep and being the nice person that she was, Ginny didn't want to disturb them from their peaceful rest. She quietly hopped off her bed and tiptoed into the room across from her bed. It was Harry's room.

Ginny didn't know why she had the urge to enter the room. After all, she knew what was waiting for her inside. She would see a cold, lifeless body that once belonged to her lover, her soul mate. The body wouldn't have moved from where it was positioned last time and there was no hope of that soul coming back to life. But for some reasons far from her logical reasoning, Ginny just wanted to be in that room even though it was pointless to be in there.

All that she would experience was pain. She would have to relive the torture that was her dead boyfriend. Thoughts of suicide would once again run through her confused mind and depression would slowly consume her. Ginny would think about how careless she was on that balcony. She would realize that if she was a bit more cautious, then Harry would be sleeping soundly beside her bed. This might not have been true, but in Ginny's mind it would have happened.

Ginny quickly snuck into the room and quietly shut the door, being careful enough not to awaken the others. She turned her attention toward the small bed that was in the middle of the room. It was empty.

"Harry!" Ginny cried out in surprise, but mostly horror. Her dead boyfriend was missing and no one seemed to notice.

"Harry, where are you?" she yelled out a little louder, not caring if she had woken anyone up.

The poor girl searched the nearly bare room franticly. She ripped the sheets off the bed and checked under the bed. When no body was found, she immediately ran into the connecting lavatory only to find nothing but the usual necessities one finds there. Her Harry was gone.

Ginny cried hysterically in defeat and anger. She walked out of the lavatory and immediately collapsed onto the bed. Ginny grabbed the pillow she had thrown on the floor and placed her face into it. Her hot tears poured into the white pillow sheet as she smelled the last remaining item her boyfriend had used.

It smelled just like him. Ginny didn't know how to describe his smell, but the aroma was quite wonderful and the thought of his smell immediately brought more tears and heartbreak to the girl. Loud, painful sobs erupted from her mouth and her body began to shake. She kicked her legs rapidly, making a loud banging noise as her thighs made contact with the springs of the mattress.

Harry was gone! The only closure Ginny had was gone and she wouldn't have it back. Who knows who could have taken it! Death Eaters could have taken him and extracted their revenge on him. Or the Ministry could have taken his body for testing and for incredibly disturbing pictures. Anything could have happened to him and Ginny wanted to know where he was and if he was okay.

"_That's a stupid thought," Ginny thought to herself. "Of course he's not alright! He's dead you dimwit and it's entirely fault!"_

"Ginny?"

* * *

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**Remember that your reviews are appreciated and the more reviews I receive, the more you get to read. So basically this is for your own benefit. Plus how long does it take, two minutes max.**

**Anyway, I hope to be able to update this story at least once a week, but I CANNOT guarantee that. I do have school to attend to, but besides that I usually have no life, so more than likely updates will be once a week, more than likely on a Friday or Saturday.**


	6. Where's Harry?

**Chapter Five: Where's Harry? **

"Ginny?"

Ginny looked up at the voice and noticed Hermione standing sheepishly by the door. "Oh Hermione, it's only you."

"Yeah," Hermione responded quietly. "Who did you think it was?"

'I don't know."

But Ginny knew who she wanted it to be. She wanted it to be Harry. She wanted Harry to be alive so he could hold her and tell her everything was okay; just like he used to. When she was angry or distraught, Harry would hug her and kiss on the top of her head. It wouldn't matter if he was in a worse situation or if she was being extremely annoying, Harry would just open up his arms and Ginny would melt to pieces. What she would give to let him hold her one last time.

"Gin, were you crying?" asked Hermione as she sat next to her best girlfriend.

That's when all came back to Ginny. Harry's body had disappeared without a trace and any closure that the body provided was forever gone. The person that had saved Ginny's world was gone and only Merlin knows what had happened to him. Someone had taken Harry from her and she would kill the person who did. There was no other explanation. After all, when was the last time someone woke up from the dead and decided to wander off?

More hot tears poured out of Ginny's bloodshot eyes and a choking sob came out of her small mouth. Her voice was dry and cracked, but the pain was nothing compared to the emotional roller coaster Ginny was feeling at the moment. Nothing could comfort her at the moment, not even Hermione's warm embrace.

'"Its okay, Ginny. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

"Nothing will ever be fine again. Harry's gone and he's never coming back."

"I know. I miss Harry too and I'll never forget all the great times we had together, but Harry wouldn't want us to crying over his death."

"I'm not crying because Harry died."

"What? Wait, why are you crying then?"

Hermione was completely and utterly confused. Ginny was devastated about something and she didn't know what it was. The only thing that made sense was Harry's death, but Ginny had already said it wasn't. They still didn't know all the causalities from the Final Battle, so Ginny couldn't possibly know who was dead. This confusion was something that didn't suit Hermione well.

"Harry. Harry's body is missing," Ginny finally responded after drying a fresh tear from her eye. She looked into Hermione's confused gazed and continued.

"This is where Harry was last night and now he isn't here any more. His body just vanished into thin air."

"Well, maybe Madam Pomfrey moved him to a different room."

"No. She wouldn't even come in here yesterday, let alone move him to a completely different room. A Death Eater must have taken him."

"Why would a Death Eater take him? It doesn't make any sense."

"They could have wanted revenge."

"Ginny, before the Final Battle began, Harry cast a spell preventing any Death Eaters from leaving the castle grounds during or after the battle. There was no way for a Death Eater to come into Hogwarts and take Harry away from here."

"Well, maybe a Death Eater came after the battle and stole Harry."

"No. Harry made sure that no more Death Eaters could enter the grounds once the battle again. Plus, Harry placed extra spells on the castle to prevent any Death Eaters from entering. There was no way that Death Eaters could have taken him."

"Ministry officials could have heard he was dead and came to see for themselves. Then, they could have taken him to get a Harry Potter Shrine or something stupid like that."

"That's not likely either. If the Ministry had taken Harry, then it would have been all over the Daily Prophet and the paper doesn't even know about the Final Battle."

"I don't know then!" yelled Ginny in frustration and anger. "I have no idea where my boyfriend is! He just disappeared for no apparent reason and there's no evidence to where he is! I'm tired of all this! I just want Harry! I want my Harry back!"

"Ginny-"

"No Hermione. I'll be fine. I just to take a walk."

With that Ginny exited the room, leaving a stunned and a depressed Hermione. Ginny couldn't stand Hermione's presence at the moment and needed to clear her already filled head. Things weren't right at the moment and to Ginny things would never be right again. Too much had changed too quickly and it lives had been ended earlier than expected. Ginny just needed to let out her thoughts.

Her thoughts tried to wander, but that was unsuccessful, so Ginny decided that she just needed to be away. She needed to leave Hogwarts for an hour or two, just to relieve the immense stress that had been placed upon her.

Just as she exited the huge, oak doors of the castle, Ginny heard the rustling of grass. Startled by the unexpected noise she quickly pulled out her wand and looked around the corner, searching for the intruder. She saw a figure walking slowly around the grounds, not doing anything dangerous, but it still scared Ginny.

The figure was moving closer toward Ginny and though she couldn't see his or her face, Ginny felt something. She couldn't describe it but she knew this person had done something with Harry. He or she was responsible for the Harry's disappearance and Ginny hate this person with a passion.

"Stupefy!" yelled Ginny. The figure, not knowing of Ginny's presence, fell to the ground stunned. Ginny waked to look at the mysterious figure.

"What the hell!"

* * *

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**WOW! Eleven reviews! I'm so happy that you guys like my story this much and I love the fact that you're reviewing. How about we play a little game? After every chapter, you, the reviews, will try to top the amount of reviews you guys sent for the last chapter. Does it sound like fun? Well, its fun for me and it gives you one more reason to review.**

**P.S. I'm sorry for the chapter's shortness , but I thought this would be better than no chapter at all. I promise that the next chapter will be longer. Pinky swear.**


	7. I'm Harry Really!

**NOTE: I reposted this chapter because I put it as chapter 5 instead of chapter 6. Sorry for the mix up.**

**Chapter Six: I'm Harry. Really! **

Ginny looked upon the face of the stranger that she had stunned. His pale face was frozen in shock and his round glasses were pressed against his beautiful eyes. The stranger looked like a completely normal wizard, except for the fact that a lightning shaped scar was planted in the middle of his forward and familiar emerald colored orbs sparkled back at Ginny.

Ginny's eyes glared at the stranger in anger and frustration. How insensitive was this jerk? Her boyfriend just died and he had the nerve to imitate him! Not only that, he was probably the person who stole her Harry from her! He could have been the person who took her only closure away! This horrible person helped fuel this war and ultimately lead Harry to his death! That bastard was going to pay!

"What the hell are you playing at?" Ginny yelled at the still figure lying on the ground. "Do you think it's funny that he's dead? Do you really think that you can imitate him and not deal with the consequences? Well you're wrong, buddy!"

Even though the figure couldn't move or talk, he felt horrible for what he had done. How could he hurt this poor girl so much? She was grieving over the loss of her boyfriend and he was just walking around the grounds without realizing any pain that he could be causing her or her family. He felt so bad and yet he couldn't even apologize.

"Now, what should I do with you?" Ginny pondered out loud. "I could crush your face in with my foot or I could kick or the groin. Or I could do just kill you right now and no one would even know we had this little run in."

"But I won't. I want you to suffer. I want you to go through hell and I want to put you through the pain that you put me through! You're the one who stole my Harry from me and I want to pay for that! One thing you will learn from this is that you will never, ever mess with me or anyone I care about! And once I'm through with you, you're going wish that I did kill you!"

Ginny levitated the frozen figure and lead him through the large double doors. She suppressed the urge to slam him into the doors and drop him down the stairs. Oh how she would have loved to do that or even give him a slight scare. But she knew that if she tried to extract her revenge now, she would have killed him. Ginny knew that she wouldn't hold back and she wanted him to feel a lot worse than she did. She ultimately wanted him to get the Kiss, a kiss of sweet revenge.

After a few minutes of silent walking, the two arrived at the Hospital Wing and Ginny burst open the doors. Everyone who was once resting in a peaceful bliss, were now wide awake and sadness filled their eyes. The events of the previous night replayed in their minds and an overwhelming sadness filled the room. So much had happened in such a small period of time. Twenty-four hours ago, Harry was alive and planning for the Final Battle. Now he was dead and missing. Things were spiraling out of control.

Everyone was huddled around the room that Harry once resided in and tears filled their eyes. Even the tough people like Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt had small tears falling down their cheeks. This death was the toughest to accept. Harry had been through so much and yet put his problems aside for the problems that were affecting the entire world. Once Dumbledore had passed away, Harry took control of the chaotic Order and led them to victory after victory. Every plan that Harry had conceived was extremely successful and went off without a hitch.

But he was more than a fantastic leader. He was a friend. No matter how you were feeling or what was happening, Harry could always put a smile on your face. If you sad, he'd make you'd laugh. If you were angry, he was there to let your frustrations out on. If you were grieving, he'd comfort you. There were no words to describe how wonderful he was, but he defiantly would leave a lasting impression.

Ginny entered the room with a bang and everyone's eyes turned to her and the figure floating beside her. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement. They were floored. Mouths hung and eyes were popping out of their heads. If the situation wasn't as serious, the image would have been quite comical.

"What the bloody hell is that?" growled Moody.

"It's Harry," replied Ginny. "Or at least an imposter of him."

"Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said quietly to her daughter. "Where did you find him?"

"He was roaming the grounds. He didn't even realize I was there until I stunned him. I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet."

"You mean that this could actually be Harry?" yelled Ron in despair. "And you stunned him!"

"Ron, be reasonable," scolded Hermione. "Harry's dead. There is no way that this man could be Harry. There is no amount of magic that can bring back the dead."

"Which is why we should question the little bastard," interrupted Moody.

"Shouldn't we bring him down to the office," Kingsley pointed out.

"Oh, and what do you suppose we say? The Ministry wouldn't be too thrilled to see their savior floating around stunned. Get your head in the game, Shacklebolt! CONSTANT VILIGANCE!"

"Fine then Mad Eye," Mr. Weasley intervened. "Interview him right here. I'm sure Minerva has some spare Veritaserum lying around."

"Right, of course. I'll be back in a moment," responded Professor McGonagall. "While I'm gone, see what you can get out of him."

Professor McGonagall was about to walk out of the room, when she turned around and faced the large group. "Oh and Alastor, please don't harm the boy. We do need him alive for further questioning."

McGonagall left the room and those who were occupying the Hospital Wing began to stare at the still figure. He looked so much like Harry, but the effects of the Polyjuice Potion could have easily accomplished that. But if this truly was a Death Eater, why was he walking around the Grounds? Surely he wouldn't have wanted to be caught right away or did he? Everything was becoming too confusing and a bit overwhelming.

"Now let's tie this bastard to a chair and begin the questioning," ordered Moody with a slight hint of disdain in his scruffy voice.

He limped over to the opposite end of the room and grabbed a wooden chair that was next to an unmade bed. Moody practically threw the boy into the chair and conjured ropes around his arms, legs, and torso. The ropes were extremely tight and were close to cutting off the stranger's circulation, but Moody didn't care.

"Finite Incantatem," said Moody as he pointed his dirty wand toward the stranger. His eye lids lifted slowly, revealing his emerald green eyes. They were full of pain and sorrow, but something else was hidden beneath them. Could it have been compassion? No way.

"Who are you?" growled Moody.

This confused the stranger. He knew who he was, but how could reveal his identity without hurting the others in the process? It wasn't possible. However, he knew that he must tell the truth, even if it hurt the others along the way.

"I'll repeat myself one more time," yelled Moody. "Who are you? What is your name?"

"Harry Potter." Though this answer was completely predictable, every witness in the room gasped. That boy had some nerve to look like Harry, let alone claim that he was. This boy was going to pay big time."

"That's impossible," shouted Mad Eye. "Harry Potter is dead."

"I was."

"What do you mean you were dead? There is no way for the dead to come back to the living. It's impossible."

"The impossible hasn't stopped me before. Why now?"

"Drop the attitude boy! I could easily kill you on the spot."

"Go right ahead. I won't stop you."

"You won't stop me, eh. Alright you give no other choice then." 

In a blink of an eye, Moody thrust his large hands around the stranger's neck. The stranger started to make loud chocking noises as his attacker began to squeeze his neck harder. The witnesses tried to pull Moody off the boy, but he wouldn't budge.

"Can you handle this boy?" yelled Mad Eye. "Does this feel good?"

The only response the stranger made was a small gurgle. His face was now a bright purple and if he didn't obtain some oxygen soon he would die.

"_Well death wouldn't be so bad," the stranger thought to himself. "It was nice before. I'm sure it will be just as nice again."_

"STUPEFY!" screamed a high pitched voice. Moody flew from the boy and landed on the opposite wall. His head bang against the stone and his body soon landed on the cold floor. Mad Eye was knocked out cold, yet no one had yet to comfort the dangerous man. At the moment they had little or no sympathy for him.

Once Moody's hands had been removed from his throat, the stranger began to take short, raspy breaths. The air felt so good, so precious. His face slowly went from the bright purple nearly violet to his normal semi tan face. The tension in his throat diminished, but never completely left him.

"I can't believe you did that!" Ron shouted in astonishment. "Ginny, you knocked out Mad Eye Moody! No one's ever done that before!"

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "I'm astounded that you would such a thing! What possessed you to do that?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. In all honesty she knew why she attacked the elder auror. He was attacking Harry, or at least someone who looked like Harry. She didn't believe that this imposter was her boyfriend or anything like that; it was just difficult to see Harry suffering. In her mind she wasn't thinking that this person was an imposter, she was thinking that the person who was getting choked to death was her Harry and no one hurt Harry. Ginny wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt the person she cared more about.

But what confused the poor girl was the fact that this person was causing her and everyone around her so much pain. Yet she couldn't let him die. She couldn't let the possible kidnapper of her boyfriend suffer in front of her. Shouldn't she have wanted this person to go through the pain that she was going through? He was causing so much suffering that it only seemed fair that he receive some pain return. Right?

"Thank…..you," chocked the stranger and all eyes had lifted off of Ginny and landed back onto the stranger that had caused all this chaotic paradox.

"I didn't do it for you," Ginny whispered quietly in shock. She didn't know what disgusted her more the fact that a Death Eater thanked her or the fact that she didn't let him suffer the hell that he was placing onto her.

"Still, thank you. You didn't have to stop him."

"I know."

"Why?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you stop him?"

"I…um…" That five letter question took all words from Ginny's mouth. Why did she stop him? Yes, the stranger resembled Harry, but there was something else. There was something about this man that Ginny felt attached to. It could have been the fact that this man looked like Harry, but Ginny highly doubted it. If Ginny saw Harry again, she knew that she would break down, but she had no urge to fall to her knees and let her teardrops fall. All she wanted to do was listen to this stranger.

"It's none of your damn business why she saved you!" Ron spat at the man angrily. His face matched his fiery red hair and his dark blue eyes glared at the stranger in hatred. Ron had been quiet long enough and he wanted give that bastard what he deserved.

"You should be grateful! She's the only one in this room who would have spared your meaningless life! If given the chance I would kill you right now!"

"Ron!" yelled Hermione.

"No Hermione! He deserves everything that's coming to him and you know it! I can't believe you don't want revenge for what he's done! He took Harry and you don't seem to care!"

"Of course I care, Ronald! I can't believe you would even say such a thing! I want everything to be okay again and I want Harry back! I want him to pay for everything that he's done, but there's a better way to achieve that! What's threatening him going to do? What's it going to solve? Nothing."

"He has all the information we need," continued Hermione. "He knows everything and the only way we can get it out of him is Veritaserum. It'll be a lot easier to get the information out of him if he's calm and not being threatened. I only want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. So don't you ever accuse me of not caring about what he has done with Harry! I want to see justice served just as much as you do! So for once, just shut your bloody mouth!"

Once Hermione had finished her rant, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the occupant's breaths. It was quite a shock to see quiet Hermione just blow up in front of everybody. It was so unlike her, but of course this morning had been anything but normal.

No one had even greeted Professor McGonagall at the door or had even helped her admit the potion. Now was the moment of truth. This would reveal everything they needed to know. They would find the answer to all their questions and all their bickering could be stopped. This one very powerful potion was the antidote to their problems.

"What is your full name?" Professor McGonagall asked the man clearly.

"Harry James Potter."

**Wow. Sorry this came out so late, but I have been quite busy with school and such. I think this is defiantly one of my longer chapters. Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers and I hope all you readers are still enjoying.**


	8. The Truth Will Set You Free

**This chapter is dedicated to one very special reviewer who has suffered a loss in the family. I send my best condolences.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Truth Will Set You Free **

"That's impossible!" exclaimed McGonagall. "No one has ever defied death. The potion must be old."

"No, Minerva, it isn't," replied Kingsley. "It was created last Tuesday by some of the Ministry's finest Potion Makers. It was also tested to make sure that it was brewed to perfection. ."

"Well, then he must be overriding the potion."

"I'm afraid that's not possible either. This particular type of Veritaserum is the most powerful truth serum known to wizard kind. There is no way the victim could not experience the effects of the potion. Plus, his pupils are dilated which is a clear sign that the potion is in effect. Everything this man says is true."

"Or at least is true to him."

"Correct. If he believes he is Harry Potter, then he is Harry Potter. The only way we could disprove him is by asking him questions that only the real Harry Potter would know. Something that is really private and personal."

"Okay," McGonagall hesitated. "Mr. Potter, can you tell me what type of animagus is Ms. Skeeter?"

"A beetle," replied the supposed Harry Potter with no emotion in his hoarse voice.

"We need something more personal," said Kingsley. "Something that only he and a few selective people know. It can't be something as obvious as that."

"What day did you have your big falling out with Ron?" questioned Hermione.

"October 31, 1994. Right after my name emerged from the Goblet of Fire," answered the man tied to the chair.

"What's so important about October 9th," interupted Ginny.

"It's the day you and I expressed our love for each other," replied Harry.

"Explain what happened." continued Ginny.

"We snuck away from Grimmauld Place and I brought you to the empty fields that were nearby. I had set up a small picnic dinner for the two of us and you were so happy. I lit a few candles and we began to eat as the sun set toward the west. After we finished eating, the two of us laid down on the blanket and looked up at the stars. They were beautiful that night; more beautiful than either of us could remember. It was as if the heavens had set up the sky just for the two of us."

"I took your hand and I rolled to my side. I told you how beautiful you looked and even though it was dark, I could tell you were blushing. I gave you small kiss on your lips and I confessed that I loved you. You were overwhelmed and tears came to your eyes. Soon you kissed me back passionately and you confessed you loved me. The two of us just stared into each other's eyes, not wanting to leave each other. Everything was perfect, but Ron and Hermione had found us and told us the Order had started to search for us. We left the spot immediately and promised each other that we would return someday."

The room was silent. The picture the man had described was so beautiful that it was hard to imagine this person could possibly be an extremely dangerous Death Eater. How could someone so evil act like someone who was madly in love? It just didn't seem possible. It was as if good or evil didn't exist which destroyed the foundation that the war was built upon.

"What-what did we do before we ate?" Ginny asked quietly. Shock and hopefulness were filling her exhausted body. This man could be her Harry and for her sake, Ginny prayed that he was.

"We magically craved our names into the two old, oak trees in the middle of the field. Both of us carved a different personal message for each other, but we didn't show each other our message until a couple days later."

"What did your message say?"

"I want to shout it from the rooftop of every building in London. I want the whole world to know what this girl means to me. Everyday when I see her smile light up, my heart constricts. When her lips touch mine, I quiver and long for more. She is the reason I wake up each morning and never fall asleep at night. I wish to hold her in my arms every second of everyday and never let go. She is my world; my purpose for life. I cannot hold back any longer for she means too much to me. I love Ginevra Molly Weasley more than any other man has loved a woman and I want everyone to know. She is my rock; my best friend; my soul mate."

"Oh Merlin!" whispered a shocked Ginny. "You're Harry!"

Surprised gasps filled the once quiet room. "Yes, Ginny, I am."

"This isn't possible!" cried Ginny with hot tears running down her pale cheeks. "You were dead! I saw you die! You collapsed next to me and I held your dead body in my arms! You didn't move! You didn't even breath!"

Harry nodded his head. "I know. Ginny, I did die, but I came back."

"There is no way to come back from the dead! No one has."

"I know, but I was given the chance to come back. Your love, Ginny, brought me back."

"I've-I've got to go get some air or something," cried a distressed Ginny.

A tearful Ginny rushed out of the hospital wing, not looking back at any of the occupants including her boyfriend. Confusing thoughts were swirling her woozy mind and she need to confront her feelings before she talked to anyone. At the moment, the last thing she needed was to talk to someone about the position she was currently involved in. Ginny needed some time alone.

Meanwhile, all those who were still conscious were shocked to learn that their savior and best friend was alive. It was only twelve hours ago when he was pronounced dead and now he could suddenly talk, laugh, breath, and smile again. It was a miracle to say the least. A confusing, unrealistic miracle, but a miracle none the less. Of course, at the moment no one in the room was complaining.

Everyone in the room had some form of a watery substance either in their eyes or running down their face. Not only was this hour extremely emotion. No one had expected a dead Harry to come back to live. No one had expected that he would be accused of being a Death Eater that was responsible for stealing his own body. No one had even expected him to die in the first place. Yet, he did all those things.

Hermione was the first to approach Harry. Tears were streaming down her face and she couldn't even stop them from flowing. She looked at the man she grew to love as a brother and guilt overtook her. How could she have accused this man of being a Death Eater? She should have realized that this was their Harry and should have stopped Moody from attacking him instead of watching him get the pulp kicked out of him. Hermione didn't know if Harry would ever forgive her for not standing up for him and in her mind, she felt she didn't deserve it.

Harry looked Hermione straight into her eyes. He could see all the pain and the overwhelming happiness she was experiencing at that moment. Hermione wasn't one to hide her emotions, but at this moment Harry could tell she was trying to hide as much as she could. Harry wanted nothing more than to comfort her.

Before Harry could get a syllable out, Hermione had leaped into his chest and moisture began to soak Harry's dirty robes. Loud sobs escaped the girl's lips and she began to tremble in his presence. Harry had wanted to hold her in his arms, but they were still tied to chair that was keeping him from his freedom. He gave a sympathetic look to Hermione and gestured for someone to untie him.

Ron quickly vanished the ropes with his wand and rushed over towards his best friends. Harry had immediately embraced Hermione and began to make circular motions on her back. Ron didn't know what else he could do, so he decided to wait patiently until Hermione had regained her composure.

When the crying ceased, Hermione backed away from Harry, with a slight blush on her face. She got a good look at his face and couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry playfully.

"You smell dreadful," replied Hermione as she wiped the dry tears off her cheek.

"Well, I haven't gotten the chance to bathe yet, have I?"

"It's good to have you back, mate," Ron spoke quietly. Harry turned his head toward his other best friend.

"It's good to be back."

Without much warning, Ron had jumped onto Harry and the two shared a tight hug. The quick attack had surprised Harry. Ron, being the typical male, always had difficulties expressing his feeling, but deep down Harry always knew that Ron and he had a brotherly connection. They would joke around and get into petty arguments on occasions, but their friendship always shone through in the end, even when Harry entered the most dangerous and unusual predicaments.

"I'd hate to break off this happy moment," an angry voice growled. "But you have yet to tell us why you are alive."

* * *

The midmorning sun beat down on her. There was no wind and the day was extremely warm. It would have been a perfect day to go sunbathing or just lay down in the shade and talk to a few close friends. But to Ginny the bright, sunny weather was just causing her more distress.

Ginny knew that she should feel overjoyed that Harry was once again alive, but in all honesty Ginny didn't know what to feel. Everything was numb to her. She couldn't feel a single thing. Ginny wasn't sad, or happy, or angry. It was like she was a mindless robot she had heard Hermione talk about.

The red head walked onto the Astronomy Tower and stood on the balcony where a battle had taken place a little over twelve hours ago. The floor still shimmered with the blood that had been split the previous night. A midnight black robe that had belonged to the man that basically destroyed Ginny's life was currently laying beside a rather large puddle of the red liquid. Without thinking, Ginny spat at the silk garment with hatred and walked past it with no desire to ever see that filthy thing again.

Ginny gripped the white marble railing and peered over the edge. The scene below was gruesome and a horrible sight for Ginny's eyes, but she couldn't take her eyes off the ground. Despite being so high up in the air, Ginny could see all the puddles of dried blood that had yet to be cleaned up. The air still reeked of the vile smell and Ginny didn't know if the odor could ever be erased completely.

Blood wasn't the only thing that had stunk up the world. The corpses were still laying in their death position and were now baking in the sun. There were so many people down there, dead. Ginny didn't even realize how many people were actually involved in this war. She was so preoccupied that she didn't realize that not only was the Order fighting, but the Ministry, Death Eaters, and wizards from other countries were attempting to end the large conflict. It was horrible that seeing the bodies made her realize that so many had joined and lost this war. By the looks of it, unfortunately most had lost and very few had gotten away with their lives.

This made Ginny think. These men and women would never see their families and friends again. They would never talk with their best mates, hold their spouse, or kiss their child goodnight ever again. The sad thing was that most of the relatives had yet to be informed, so they were probably sitting at home, contemplating whether they would ever see their loved one ever again. At least Ginny knew that Harry had died and wasn't driving herself crazy about the matter.

Harry's second chance at life really wasn't fair. How come Harry could walk, breath, and hold his loved ones again, but no one else could? He could say he never died and could have a somewhat normal life. These people laying dead on the ground didn't have that second chance. They would stay unmoving forever and would never defy the laws of nature.

Ginny couldn't take it anymore. She had been too strong for too long. A loud cry came out of Ginny's cracked lips and the tears came rushing out of her eyes. She backed away from the railing and fell down onto the ground. Ginny placed her wet face into her hands and began to let out all of the emotion that had been plaguing her body for the past two hours or so. She cried for Harry. She cried for the victims of the war. But mostly she cried for herself.

Soon Ginny started making rocking motions. All she wanted to do was move her body back and forth against the warm floor and let her tears fall from her sad eyes. She wanted to block herself from the whole world and keep herself from ever experiencing this kind of pain again. That was until a pair of gentle hands lifted her head from her hands and looked compassionately into her eyes.

* * *

**Hey, read and review! I didn't get as many reviews last time, so please just send me a small message expressing your feelings about this story. I even made this chapter a little longer for you guys. Soon all this death drama will be over and done with and we can move on into more exciting events.**


	9. When Two Eyes Meet

**Chapter Eight: When Two Eyes Meet **

Emerald eyes wandered into Ginny's chocolate brown. Compassion, guilt, and eternal love radiated from those spectacular orbs and entered Ginny's soul. She could tell that he wanted to hold her in his arms, but was holding back for her sake. He was waiting for her to give him a sign of some sort.

Ginny lost total control of all her functions and more tears filled her bloodshot eyes. Before she knew it, Harry had embraced and her body melted into his. Harry's shirt was quickly becoming moist, but he didn't seem to mind. Surprising, the cold shakes that Ginny had experienced a few moments ago had not returned. It was a totally different feeling when she was being rocked in Harry's arms. Ginny couldn't explain it, but it felt nice.

Soon the tears dried and Ginny finally calmed down, but neither of them moved. Ginny remained in the comfort of Harry's arms and Harry took advantage of embracing the woman that he loved. They sat in silence, not wanting to break the moment, but Harry knew it couldn't go on like this.

"Are you okay," Harry asked Ginny as she pushed herself out of his embrace. Her eyes once again met his, but she quickly broke the contact.

"Honestly, I don't know," responded Ginny. "Things are just so complicated."

"I know."

"I mean before I went to bed I was holding your dead body and now you're alive again and you can hold me again. It's just hard to accept."

"I know. This is why I was afraid to come back."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was dead, I was given a choice. I could either stay dead or I could come back. My parents really wanted me to go back, but I wasn't really sure. Then, I saw you crying over me in the Hospital Wing. I felt so guilty that I caused you so much pain. I didn't know if I could ever forgive myself."

"So seeing me devastated helped you make your decision?"

"No actually. It convinced me that staying dead was the right decision."

"Oh," said Ginny with a bit of pain evident in her voice.

"It's not what you think." Harry explained quickly. "I just didn't want to hurt you more than I already did. You were so broken because of me and I didn't know if you'd want me to come back after all the pain I put you through."

"Of course I would want you back," replied a very defiant Ginny. "It has been the one pray I've been saying since the moment the Final Battle began. I couldn't live without you, Harry. You mean too much to me."

"You mean so much to me," continued Ginny. "But it's still hard, you know. I mean… it's just… it's just difficult to finally accept your death and then discover that your actually alive. Don't get me wrong, it's the best thing that ever happened to me, but… I don't know."

"I guess a part of me just doesn't want to believe that this is real. That this isn't some dream that I will wake up from and cry over. I don't think I could handle that. It was just so hard waking up this morning and knowing that I would never get to talk to you again or kiss you again. I just don't want my heart to be broken."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to cause you so much pain. I just…"

"No, Harry. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault all this happened. There is only one person to blame and right now he's laying in a heap right in front of us."

Both Harry and Ginny turned their heads to the robe. It was his fault that they were sitting on the Astronomy Tower at this moment, discussing this unusual topic. It was his fault that Ginny had to suffer with the pain of losing a loved one and Harry had to make an extremely difficult decision about his life. It was his fault that they were even dragged in this dreadful war and it was his fault on how the war ended. Both were extremely happy that he was dead. Though, Harry wished that he could have suffered a long, painful death.

Harry turned his head back toward Ginny. "So are we okay?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Yeah," answered Ginny. "We weren't in much trouble to being with."

"Good. For a second there, I though you might want to get back together with Dean and have lots and lots of make up sex."

"Well, I guess I can't deny it anymore. It did cross my mind a few of times," laughed Ginny.

"I'm hurt," mocked Harry placing his fists under his eyes and pretending to cry.

"Suck it up you wimp."

"Suck it up?! I'll show you sucking it up!"

Harry was about to launch himself on to Ginny and tickle her unmercifully, when she jumped up as if she knew what he was about to do.

"Only if you can catch me!" yelled Ginny as she ran toward the door, laughing very loudly.

* * *

The day was as perfect as it could be. Harry had chased Ginny around the castle for nearly an hour and by the time their little game was over, both teens were exhausted and hungry. They decided to head down to the kitchen and have a romantic lunch which the house elves were more than happy to accommodate.

After the delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs with the side of Cesar salad, Ginny decided that she couldn't hog Harry anymore and the two decided to go into the Gryffindor Common Room where Ron and Hermione were reading books. Actually, Hermione was reading, Ron was just staring at the page wondering what the Quidditch score was. Harry saved Ron from his mindless boredom by playing an excruciating loud game of Exploding Snap. Ginny decided to watch from the sidelines and cheer on her man, something Ron wasn't too pleased about.

After a few hours of reacquainting himself with his two best friends and girlfriend, Harry decided that he needed some alone time to be with his thoughts. Despite their better judgment, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny left the Common Room and went to the Great Hall for a spot of dinner, leaving Harry alone to do what he pleased.

Once his friends had left, Harry immediately regretted his decision of not coming along. The Common Room was so large and yet so quite. Just a year ago, this room was packed with students studying for their exams and hanging with their mates. This room was never silent, even in the middle of the night. Chaos always erupted in this room, whether it was good or bad and now it was empty, with the exception of him. This room that he had loved since the moment he had first arrived at the school, began to give him the creeps and Harry decided to wander around the castle, hoping to find a place that wasn't as silent as the room he had just left.

After thirty minutes of mindless wandering, Harry once again found himself on the Astronomy Tower. Harry didn't know why he was so drawn to this building all of a sudden, but for the moment it provided a peaceful silence that didn't seem to bother him. The Order had spent the entire day identifying the victims and informing the families of their loved ones tragic death. The robes that Voldemort had left behind were picked up and burned to a crisp, something thousands of people have been waiting for. Hogwarts was back to its peaceful self and there was no reminder that was a gruesome battle had take place twenty-four hours ago.

But the causalities and their families weren't the thing that was bothering Harry at the moment. Harry couldn't help but shake this feeling that he was forgetting something very important; something that could mean either life or death. This feeling kept eating away at him, taunting him. If this thing was so important, why couldn't Harry remember what it was?

"Harry," a quiet voice interrupted Harry's thoughts. The teen turned his head to see Remus standing in the doorway.

"Hey Remus," replied Harry as Remus walked toward the balcony where Harry was leaning over.

"So how have you been, Harry? We haven't had much time to talk recently."

"I'm fine, I guess. I really don't know what to feel at this point."

"That's understandable. You've been through quite a lot in a short period of time. You defeated one the most powerful wizards of all time and you came back from the dead. It's normal that you should feel a bit out of place for a while."

"I guess. But that's not what's really bothering me."

"Well, what is?"

"I can't help but think that I'm forgetting something."

"What do you mean? What could you possibly forgetting?"

"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure it out, but I keep drawing a blank. It's bothering me because I know it something important, but I can't remember."

"Well, you should forget about that for now. Today is a day for celebrations."

"Why?"

"Don't you remember or did death take away your memories? Voldemort has finally been taken down after many years of torture and death. And it's all because of you, Harry. If you thought you were famous before, it's going to be nothing compared to now.

"So people will be celebrating the fact that I murdered a man. I'm a murder, Remus. There's no way around it."

"You're not a murderer, Harry. You didn't even want to kill him-"

"Yes, I did. I wanted to kill him ever since I knew about him, even before I knew about the prophecy. I wanted to destroy him for taking away the only parents I ever had. I wanted him to pay. I just wanted justice served."

"Is it bad that I wanted him dead," continued Harry. "Did wanting him dead make me a bad person?"

"Of course not," yelled Remus. "Wanting someone dead because they killed your family is normal. I wanted to kill Voldemort the day he killed your parents."

"But the fact of the matter is that you didn't kill him."

"It's because I couldn't. Harry, you were blessed with the rare gift of extreme magical power. You have more power than any other average witch or wizard. If any of them had the power that you had, don't you think they would abuse it? But you didn't, Harry. You used your power for good and not evil. You did something that Voldemort didn't; you didn't take your power for granted."

"Voldemort used his power to kill people just because he could," explained Remus. "You used your power to stop him from doing that and he died in the process. I know you would rather not take credit for something as cruel as death, but Harry, the death you caused was unintentional-"

"But I came to the Final Battle to kill him-"

"Or to be killed. Tell me Harry how did you kill Voldemort? Did you use the Killing Curse on him?"

"No, but-"

"Did you torture him to death?"

"No, but-"

"Did you use any Muggle defenses against him?"

"No, but-"

"You killed him because he was trying to kill, Ginny. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Don't you see, Harry? This makes you completely different from Voldemort. Voldemort killed because he loved to kill. You kill because you wanted to protect those that you love. You could never become him."

"I know that. It's just that it's so hard, you know. So much has happened in so little time. I mean, it's hard to believe that nearly twenty-four hours ago, I was dead and had killed the person who murdered my parents. I guess, I don't really want to accept what happened. In some sort of way, I wish I didn't have to be the one who killed him."

"That's understandable, Harry. But in the same respect you should also be very proud of yourself. You achieved quite an accomplishment."

"I know."

"Your parents would be quite proud of you."

"I know."

"And Sirius would be proud of you too."

I kn-. Sirius. Oh shit! That's what I forgot!" rambled Harry.

Remus looked at the teen with a confused look on his face. What in the world was he talking about? What could Sirius have to do with anything that was going on?

"Listen Remus," responded Harry noticing the look on Remus' face. "I know this going to sound crazy, but Sirius isn't dead. And I'm going to go save him."

With that in mind, Harry dashed from the Astronomy Tower without turning back to look an extremely baffled Remus.

"Wait, Harry!" yelled Remus trying to attract the attention of the possibly mental unstable boy, but there was no avail.

Harry was too fast for his own good and there was no way Remus could ever catch up to him. Harry was on his way to the veil and there was no way to stop him. There was only one thing that the werewolf could do, find Ginny. She could talk him out. That is, if they weren't too late. Remus needed to act quickly before he lost Harry for a second time.

* * *

**I'm so sorry that this chapter was so late. First off, I'm still in school and I had a ton of projects that need to come first. School is my first prioity and writing cannot get in the way of that. However, this chapter did come too late in my opinion and my new goal is to get a new chapter uploaded every other weekend. But in order to do that I need reviews. Despite what most people believe, you reviewers help keep this story alive. In fact, I had one reviewer send me an email a few days ago telling me to post this chapter. He or she inspired me to finish the chapter. So please review. It's not hard and it takes two minutes out of your day. Thank you!**


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